


Gathering Strength

by Rennaren



Series: Tomorrow [7]
Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Abduction, F/M, Gen, Kidnapping, Kind of AU, Post Movie, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 02:05:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9636116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: A series of abductions have been occurring around Tokyo, with the victims turning up dead several weeks after their disappearance. When a third victim is taken, Division One must try to find the victim and stop the abductor before it's too late.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after the movie, it takes place in early Dec. 2116.

“The victim’s name is Ayako Hideyoshi. She is 29 years old and was last seen leaving the office of Dr. Takumi, an optometrist in Shibuya.” said Akane, reading the information projected on the holographic screen of her wrist communicator as she stood over the body of a tall woman with closely cropped black hair. “She was employed at Tsubaki Flower Market, and was reported missing two weeks ago by a co-worker when she didn’t return to work after a vacation the week prior.” 

Ginoza nodded his eyes scanning the information for a moment longer before looking over at Akane. “Yes,… and her body was discovered here this morning when it was reported by a couple who came across it while exploring an old temple in the area. They don’t appear however to have any more connection to the incident than that. …As for the victim, preliminary findings indicate her cause of death as accidental, caused by asphyxiation due to pulmonary aspiration.” finished Ginoza after a moment’s pause. 

“Yes…” agreed Akane nodding as she slowly walked around the room her eyes moving to take in everything. “And she was left here, where the body was sheltered but in an area public enough that it would likely be found quickly. …But there don’t appear to be any signs of violence and the way she was carefully laid out might indicate remorse on the part of whoever did so.” Akane glanced down to call up some information on her wrist link. “It’s similar to the case from a few months ago. …Though we were never able to find any solid leads on it. …Could they be related?” she added almost under her breath.

“…So you’re saying that whoever took her wanted her to be found now. Even though disposing of the body in such a public area would put them at risk of being caught more quickly. However the abductor does seem to have some method of temporarily disabling cameras...” Ginoza’s eyes followed one of the evidence collecting drones for a moment as it rolled across the floor, before adding. “But you also think that the two deaths are part of a pattern?” 

“It’s the feeling I have.” said Akane nodding. “It’s strange though… apart from the fact that this woman is almost a perfect match for the description of the one we found three months ago there’s not really anything obvious to connect them. No places they both routinely visited or people both knew. Just that they each disappeared about three weeks before they were found dead, after they were last picked up by a camera that malfunctioned before we could see anything useful. ….Other than that it’s so rare for people to just disappear like this that is.” murmured Akane as she crouched down to study the corpse. 

“I see.” Ginoza raised his eyebrows slightly, looking toward the entrance for a moment, the faintest hint of a wry smile twisting his mouth. “…Detective’s instinct perhaps?”

“…More like a guess.” Akane glanced up at Ginoza, one shoulder moving in a shrug as she shook her head. “I know it’s pretty thin evidence to go on… It’s probably too soon to say one way or another if there really is a pattern.”

“Unfortunately at this point it doesn’t look like there’s much we’ll be able to do until we have more to work with.” said Ginoza, looking down at Akane as he folded his arms across his chest. “Perhaps the analysis of any evidence on the body, and crime scene will provide some kind of lead.”

“Maybe…” murmured Akane, pulling the sheet back over the woman’s face before getting to her feet. “In the meantime though there must be something we can do. …Something we’re overlooking.”

Ginoza shook his head fractionally, as he gazed at Akane. “Weren’t you supposed to have the day off tomorrow? …You should go ahead and take it, and relax while you’re able. There’s nothing more you can do until the analysis is complete. …Karanomori and the rest of us can handle that, and can notify you if anything is found.”

Akane pursed her lips, frowning slightly as she looked at Ginoza before glancing back down at the body for a moment. She sighed, then slowly nodded. “All right,… I guess I did have plans made already,…” murmured Akane quietly before fixing Ginoza with an intent look. “But you’ll let me know as soon as anything is found. No matter how small?”

“Of course.” agreed Ginoza, nodding.

Stepping out of the small shelter, Akane and Ginoza lingered near the doorway, solemnly watching as a pair of drones lifted Ayako’s sheet draped body placing it on a stretcher. Once the body was secured the drones and stretcher rolled out of the building passing by them on its way to the ambulance waiting to transport the corpse away for further examination.

The next day Akane arrived at Pandora café just before noon. After being shown to a table near a window she ordered a cup of green tea to drink then settled back in her chair to wait for Kiyoshiko to arrive for their planned lunch.  
Her cup of tea was nearly empty when Akane shifted in her chair, looking up from the case file she had been reviewing on her wrist link as the serving drone once again approached her table, offering to take her order. “Oh. …No, I guess I’ll wait a little bit longer.” She said shaking her head slightly.  
The drone spoke in a slightly mechanical voice acknowledging her response as it refilled her cup, then rolled to the next table, offering the couple there a refill as well. Akane watched for a moment then glanced down to check the time, frowning a bit when she saw that it was already forty-five minutes past the time she and Kiyoshiko had agreed to meet. “…That’s strange,… I’ve never known her to be this late before.” murmured Akane quietly, before keying a number into her wrist link. She listened for a couple of minutes as it rang before switching over to a message instructing the caller to leave a message. “…And she doesn’t answer either…”

Akane hesitated a moment, then reached out to key a command into the table’s interface to pay her bill. She gathered up her purse and coat as she rose from her chair making her way toward the exit as she shrugged into her coat.  
_There’s something unusual going on… the museum isn’t too far from here. Even if Kiyoshiko isn’t there for some reason, someone would probably have seen her, or at least know where she might be…_ thought Akane as she hurried down the sidewalk toward the art museum.

Ginoza looked up from the collection of Tolstoy essays he was reading at the sound of his wrist communicator chiming, and saw that it was Akane calling. He set the book aside on the edge of the coffee table, leaving it open to hold his place before reaching out to answer the call. “Tsunemori, it’s your day off today isn’t it? …It’s unusual for you to call,… Is there something wrong?” 

“Ginoza-san, have you heard from Kiyoshiko-chan recently?” asked Akane, sounding a bit winded as if she had been running. “…I was supposed to meet with her for lunch today but she didn’t show up.” 

“What?” murmured Ginoza frowning as he quickly brought his legs down from the arm of the couch to sit upright. The motion displaced Dime, who had been lying partway across Ginoza’s lap and legs. The large husky scrambled off the couch, bumping against the coffee table and knocking Ginoza’s book to the floor as he accidently brushed against it.  
Ginoza leaned forward slightly, his attention focused on the call. “No… we’ve been so busy with the case until now I haven’t spoken to her for a few days.” He said, trying to keep himself calm. “Have you tried calling her? Perhaps she’s running late.” 

“It’s been almost two hours past the time when we were supposed to meet. I’ve already tried calling her twice, but she doesn’t answer.” replied Akane, the sound of a car door shutting sounding abruptly loud as the background noise of wind stopped. “I stopped by the museum just now, and they said that she hasn’t been at work since the day before yesterday. And that she hasn’t called to say she wouldn’t be in either.” 

“…That isn’t like her…” murmured Ginoza in a low voice before biting his lip, fighting a rising tide of anxiety. “Have you checked to see if she’s home…?” 

“Not yet. I’m heading there now.” said Akane after a moments pause. “I just wanted to see if maybe you had heard from her, or if she’d said anything to you that would explain it.” 

“No she hasn’t.” said Ginoza, shaking his head. “Please… let me know as soon as you find anything out Tsunemori. …I’ll try calling her too. Maybe I’ll be able to get through.” 

“All right, Ginoza-san. I hope you can.” replied Akane before ending the call. 

Dime looked up at Ginoza, whining softly and putting a paw on his knee, as silence descended on the room once more. The dark haired enforcer spared Dime a glance and a quick absent-minded pat before standing and walking toward the door of his quarters as he bent over his wrist communicator keying in Kiyoshiko’s number. _…Please Kiyoshiko,… answer the call._ He thought, turning to pace back toward the couch as he listened to the communicator’s ring on his side of the call. _Please be all right…_

Akane called out as she stepped into Kiyoshiko’s house after keying in the code to unlock the door. She looked around as she made her way from the front hall to the kitchen, for anything to indicate if Kiyoshiko was home or why she had been absent from both work and their planned lunch. The house was dark, though clean and undisturbed, as if it’s owner had simply left as usual but intended to return later. _It looks as if she hasn’t been here for a day or more, but whatever happened doesn’t seem to have happened here. I don’t see anything out of place as far as I can tell, and there aren’t any signs of a struggle or that someone might have been in a hurry to leave…_ thought Akane as she moved from room to room before finally returning to the front hall. _…But what did happen to Kiyoshiko-chan then?_ She hesitated a moment, then made another call. 

Moments later Ginoza’s voice came sharply over the channel. “Tsunemori. Did you find her?” he asked, his voice tightly controlled. “Is she all right?” 

“No, Ginoza-san, she’s not here either. …I’m not sure but I don’t think Kiyoshiko-chan has been here for at least a day.” said Akane shaking her head. “But there aren’t any signs of a struggle and nothing seems to be missing either.” 

Ginoza swore, the sound coming out a bit choked, followed by a brief silence before he continued. “Then where could she be? Is there any sign of what might have happened?” 

“I think whatever happened, it may not have happened here.” said Akane, glancing around once more before stepping outside and locking the door behind her. “We should still check the house over more thoroughly to be sure, but I think the first thing we need to do is find out where she was last. …I’m coming in. Have Karanomori-san start a search of cameras and street scanners in the places Kiyoshiko-chan would usually be, for the past couple of days.” 

“All right.” said Ginoza nodding as he made his way toward the door of his quarters. “We’ll get started immediately.” 

“I’ll be there soon.” replied Akane, before ending the call. 

Ginoza paused in the door way of his quarters, looking back over his shoulder at the book that had fallen to the floor. He hesitated a moment then quickly walked back across the room, picking it up and smoothing a crumpled page, as gently he set it back on the coffee table before tucking a scrap of paper with a number written on it back inside the cover. Straightening Ginoza hurried out of the room, heading up to Shion’s lab. 

“Karanomori-san, have you found anything yet?” asked Akane as she walked into the lab, laying her casual coat and purse on the couch as she passed by it, coming to a stop behind the blonde analyst.  
Shion half turned in her chair to look over at Akane as Ginoza paused in his pacing in the space between the couch and Shion’s computers to stand next to the petite inspector.  
The analyst spared Ginoza a glance before shaking her head as she turned back toward her screens, fingers beginning to move over her keyboard once more. “According to Ginoza-san, Kiyoshiko-chan spends most of her time either at home or work, apart from trips to a small grocery store near her house. ...And she usually walks rather than take public transportation though so we have to go through the footage from any camera that’s along the routes she might possibly have taken.” 

Akane nodded. “And there’s also the café that we usually meet at when we have lunch, Pandora café, but it’s close to where she works too.” 

“All right, I’ll add it into the search parameters.” said Shion as she did so, before looking back up at the screens watching as they simultaneously scrolled through video from multiple cameras. “We should have something soon. In this case it’s lucky that she has a relatively set routine. There’s less to go through that way…” 

“Wait, there!” cried Ginoza, abruptly slamming a hand to the desk as he leaned forward to point to one of the video channels. “Go back on this one!” 

Shion enlarged the video Ginoza had indicated, backing it up and slowing down the feed as she did. The three of them watched as a tall woman with dark wavy hair made her way across the picture. She was wearing dark glasses and carrying a slender white cane. “That’s Kiyoshiko.” said Ginoza looking over at Akane and Shion. 

“Yes,…” agreed Akane nodding as she leaned forward slightly as well to study the video a bit more intently. “But where is she going? …Follow her.”  


“Sure thing Akane-chan.” said Shion as she called up the next cameras along the route in the direction Kiyoshiko was headed. 

The video continued showing Kiyoshiko for several minutes, the handful of people in the area around her moving out of view as she passed by the mouth of an alley between buildings. A moment later the video feed distorted then abruptly stopped, fading to a black screen. 

“What happened?!” Ginoza said sharply, turning his gaze to Shion. “What happened to the video? Can you get it back?” 

“I- I don’t know.” murmured Shion shaking her head, her expression uncertain as she turned her attention to her keyboard, typing out a series of commands. “There was some sort of malfunction in the video. I’m not sure why, but for some reason the camera stopped recording. That’s the last camera she was seen on…” Shion sat back in her chair, her hands moving from the keyboard to rest on the edge of her desk as she whispered. “…I’m sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault.” Akane rested a hand on the analyst’s shoulder as she looked over Shion’s head to lock eyes with Ginoza. Ginoza stood tensely his hands clenched into fists at his sides, biting his lower lip. The green eyes that met Akane’s were filled with anxiety. Both of them were thinking of the case they had been working on the day before.  
After a moment Akane looked back down to Shion. “Where was she when the video cut out?” she asked softly as she lifted her hand from the other woman’s shoulder. 

Shion leaned forward to tap at her keyboard, calling up a map and co-ordinates on screen. “Here. …Approximately six blocks away from the museum.” 

“All right.” said Akane nodding, her expression determined. “Send those to me along with the video and anything else you can find. Notify everyone to meet in the squad room in fifteen minutes for a briefing.” She turned on her heel, scooping up her coat and purse from the couch as she made her way out of the lab. “Ginoza-san, you’re with me.” 

Ginoza stood frozen for a moment then hurried out of the room after Akane. Shion half-turned, watching the dark haired enforcer’s retreating back with an apologetic expression for a moment before swiveling back to her screens to begin working. 


	2. Chapter 2

Once everyone had gathered in the Division One squad room Akane waited a moment until the others had a moment to call up the case files related to the first two cases, the basic profile of the abductor that had been come up with so far, and skim the new evidence that had been added with yesterday’s discovery of the second victim’s body before beginning to fill them in on what she had noticed so far to link the two incidents. 

“So that’s what we’ve uncovered so far… but that’s not entirely why I called this for this briefing on such short notice, and at a time when some of you were supposed to be off duty.” Akane paused for a moment, nodding slightly at Yayoi and Sugo before continuing. “There’s reason to believe that the abductor has taken a new victim already.”  
Low murmurs ran around the room as Sugo, Yayoi, and Hinakawa exchanged looks and headshakes as the details of Kiyoshiko’s abduction hadn’t been included in the case file yet. Yayoi also glanced toward Ginoza briefly, already having heard a few details from Shion, before looking back to Akane. 

The inspector waited a few moments for silence to return before continuing, she reached out to tap a button on the keyboard at her station bringing up the information that Shion had sent to her, along with a picture of Kiyoshiko. “As of this afternoon, it appears as if Kiyoshiko Michi may be the latest victim of the abductor, based on evidence indicating that she has been missing since the day before yesterday and was last seen on a camera that malfunctioned. This fits with the circumstances at last known times the previous victims were seen before being taken, she also matches the basic physical traits of the other victims as well...”

While Akane had been reviewing the case details Mika had stood, tapping her finger on her desk as she listened. However as Akane informed the group of Kiyoshiko’s disappearance as well she made a scornful noise, shooting a dark look in Ginoza’s direction for a long moment before folding her arms over her chest, as she turned back toward Akane shaking her head. “I’m not surprised! I’ve said all along that there’s a reason that latent criminals shouldn’t be allowed around civilians. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened to her.” 

At his station Ginoza made a soft noise, flinching as if he’d been slapped. He turned away toward his work screen, trying to mask the stricken look in his eyes as Mika’s words brought the hints of guilt he had managed to keep mostly contained over his involvement with Kiyoshiko, to the forefront of his mind. _She’s right. …This is my fault. If I had kept my distance something like this might not have happened. Before that day in the park Kiyoshiko had never had any involvement with the MWPSB, and now she’s been caught up in Division One’s cases twice. Even when I’ve been careful to make sure she doesn’t know enough about anything to endanger her psycho-pass she falls into danger in other ways… And for what?..._ thought Ginoza, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to control his breathing.

“Inspector Shimotsuki! That was uncalled for!” retorted Akane, her voice sounding unusually loud in the sudden quiet of the squad room, which had been caused by Mika’s statements. 

“It serves her right.” muttered Mika, her eyes narrowing as she looked away. _And you’re just as responsible for whatever happens, for continuing to allow those two to have contact with each other…_

Akane frowned, taking a breath before she spoke, trying to contain her frustration with the junior inspector’s harsh outburst. “I said that’s enough. Let’s just focus on solving this case, before anything else happens or more people are abducted.”

“Fine.” retorted Mika, unfolding her arms and slipping into her field jacket, as she turned to walk out of the squad room. “Let’s go then.”

Sighing quietly Akane ran her hand through her hair, giving a slight nod to the others before leading the way out of the room toward the waiting vehicles.

Hours later, dusk had long since passed and the streets were deserted most people having retreated to their homes for the night, when Akane called for the members of Division One to rendezvous at the vehicles and end the search for the day.

“Thank you everyone for your hard work,… Please get some rest.” said Akane, nodding at the gathered enforcers as they turned to trudge onto the paddy wagon. “We’ll resume the search in the morning.”  
Mika had already returned to the car and seated herself inside by the time Akane looked over to see that Ginoza was still lingering behind, watching her with a frown.

Akane stepped over to where Ginoza was, looking up at him. “Ginoza-san, …What is it?”

“Is that it? Is this all we’re going to do, and now we just leave?” snapped Ginoza, his lips thinning as he pressed them together in a displeased frown.

“I’m sorry but there’s nothing more we can do right now.” said Akane, running her fingers through her short brown hair. “And everyone is exhausted. We’ve done all we can for today.” 

“…But she’s still out there somewhere!” protested Ginoza, clenching his hands into fists at his sides as he looked down at Akane. “We have to keep looking until we find her!”

“Ginoza-san, that’s enough.” Akane lifted her chin to meet Ginoza’s eyes, her gaze fiery, matching the dark haired enforcer’s frustration. A moment later she sighed, letting her gaze fall as she rubbed her forehead wearily. “…I understand why you’re upset, Ginoza-san, I do. I’m worried about Kiyoshiko-chan too, but we’re getting nowhere right now. …The best thing we can do tonight is try to rest and start again in the morning with fresh eyes.” 

Glancing away Ginoza hesitated, a muscle along his jaw visibly working for a moment before he nodded, letting out a held breath as he forced himself to relax. “…I’m sorry, Tsunemori. I was out of line…”

“It’s all right Ginoza-san.” Akane smiled sympathetically as she reached out to touch Ginoza’s arm. “I’m worried about her too. …But neither of us will be any good to her if we’re too tired to think straight. And we need to wait to see if there are any leads that will turn up from the evidence collected where she was taken, or at her house.” 

Ginoza closed his eyes as he nodded once more. “…I know… It’s not your fault. You’re doing everything you can. I’m sorry…” He murmured softly, touching Akane’s hand briefly where it rested on his arm, before turning away and boarding the paddy wagon. 

Akane watched, sighing quietly to herself before making her way over to her car and getting in. _…We have to find her. …We’ve lost too many people already. We can’t afford to lose anyone else._

That night back at her apartment Akane sat on her couch, all the files and information related to the three cases spread out over her coffee table and the couch itself, a lit cigarette resting in an ashtray nearby. “All right.” murmured Akane quietly. “…Kogami-san would probably say to start with what we know first. And that knowing why the victims were chosen will give us clues about the abductor. …So what do the victims have in common?...”

The next day Division One assembled at Meguro, several blocks from where she had last been picked up on camera, to resume the search for Kiyoshiko. After a few hours of questioning people in the area Akane gathered the team, briefly going over what little evidence had been uncovered by the forensic drone since last night. Akane looked around at the members of Division One who were gathered around her. “I’ve think I may have figured out why the victims were taken. I’ve been going over the evidence we have and found something they have in common that makes them stand out to the suspect.”

“…The initial report didn’t indicate any links between them… what could you have found that wasn’t already covered?” asked Mika, raising an eyebrow as she studied Akane with a critical expression. 

Akane shook her head fractionally. “It’s not a link between them exactly,… but I think whoever is abducting these women is for some reason targeting ones who have trouble with their vision.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense, …The first victim doesn’t fit your theory.” retorted Mika, her expression changing to one of skepticism as she folded her arms across her chest. “She had perfect vision.”

“True.” agreed Akane nodding, as she pulled up a file on her wrist link. “But I re-read some of the interviews and a family member mentioned that she had planned to run an errand the day she went missing to pick up a pair of antique glasses that she was having repaired at an optometrist’s in Chiyoda as a gift. It’s possible the suspect thought that she was going there for herself.” 

“I see…” murmured Mika quietly.

“Yes.” added Akane after a moment’s pause. “And the second victim did wear glasses, they were found near her body and may have fallen off when she was being moved. …And Michi-san…”

“...Is blind.” murmured Ginoza softly. “…The abductor might have had to follow her for a time to realize but…” He trailed off his lips pressing into a thin line.

Akane looked over at Ginoza, who stood at the edge of the group with his arms folded across his chest and his shoulders hunched slightly as if bracing against a chill wind. Dark circles were beginning to form under his eyes, indicating he had likely slept even less than Akane had. She nodded starting to open her mouth to reply when her wrist link chimed softly, once Akane answered the call Shion’s voice rang out over the channel. 

“Akane-chan… Have you had any there luck so far?” asked Shion, her voice sounding hopeful.

“No,…” said Akane, shaking her head fractionally. “Have you made any progress on your end Karanomori-san? With the forensic evidence or cameras?”

“I see…” murmured Shion softly, pausing a moment before continuing. “It’s not much to go on Akane-chan. …But I’ve traced another camera malfunction similar to the ones we’ve seen already, to a camera outside a couple of abandoned apartment buildings in Nakameguro.” reported Shion over the com channel. “…All things considered it might be worth at least looking into.”

Frowning Akane sighed, feeling a bit frustrated that this was their best lead so far after two days of searching and questioning people in the area. After a moment she gathered herself, and nodded. “All right, it’s the best we’ve got right now so let’s go there and check it out.” 

Arriving at the apartment buildings Shion had informed them of, Akane and the other members of Division One parked a short distance away, hoping to avoid making the suspect aware of their presence. After scouting the area briefly, the group regathered as Akane gave them their assignments.

Akane looked around at the assembled group. “Ginoza-san and Sugo-san you’ll come with me. Hinakawa-kun and Kunizuka-san will go with Inspector Shimotsuki. We’ll conduct a floor by floor check of the apartment buildings.”

Murmurs of assent were heard before the two teams separated to begin searching the abandoned buildings.  
Ginoza and Sugo followed Akane toward the one on the left, as they drew closer the two enforcers split off from Akane to circle around the building to check for threats and additional exits and make sure it was safe to enter. A few minutes later they returned to Akane and the three of them stepped up to the front door of the building, Akane and Ginoza positioned themselves on either side of the door as Sugo looked over at Akane, waiting for her nod of approval before kicking it in.  
Ginoza led the way as they burst into the building, closely followed by Akane who announced their presence as representatives of the MWPSB. Sugo followed, glancing over at Ginoza with a nod before the two of them spread out to check and clear the rooms on the first floor. 

“Clear.” Called Ginoza as he stepped out of what looked to be a long unused office, judging by the layers of dirt that had settled onto the surfaces inside. 

“Clear here.” added Sugo as he stepped out of a room at the end of the hall, lowering his dominator to point at the floor once more. 

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone on this floor.” agreed Akane nodding as she moved toward the elevators. “Let’s keep going. The faster we can check the other floors the better, if Kiyoshiko-chan is here.”  


_…And if she’s not, and this is a false lead…_ thought Ginoza, his grip tightening on his dominator as he tried to push back a growing sense of despair. _This is already the second day since we found out she was missing. It’s been at least three days since she was taken… who knows what might have happened to her in that time? I should have been able to do something to find her by now…_

“Ginoza-san?” called Akane, pulling Ginoza from his thoughts of self-recrimination. 

Ginoza looked up to see that she and Sugo had already boarded the elevator, and that Akane had her hand held against one of the doors to prevent them from closing, while he had continued standing in the middle of the hallway lost in thought. He hurried down the hall to join them, murmuring an apology as he got onto the elevator as well. As the elevator rose Ginoza looked up to watch as the number changed. _…Useless… I’m not even effective while we’re trying to find her, much less able to protect her in the first place. ...Is it any wonder things always end up like this when I’m involved?..._

When the elevator reached the next floor Ginoza followed Akane and Sugo off, the three of them moving from room to room as they checked this floor as well, finding only layers of dust in the long disused apartments. 

_If we find Kiyoshiko in time-… No. When we find Michi-san, I will have to do whatever it takes to make sure this won’t happen again._ thought Ginoza, his grip tightening on his Dominator as he steeled himself. _…All along, I knew it wasn’t right for me to let things continue. It wasn’t fair, and it keeps putting her in danger… I have to put an end to our involvement._

Meanwhile Mika’s team made their way through the apartment building beside the one Akane’s group was searching. As they moved from floor to floor Hinakawa and Yayoi led the way down the hall dominators drawn as they checked and cleared the rooms on each side. Frowning Mika trailed slightly behind muttering under her breath from time to time, though too softly to make out what she was saying, as she followed the pair of enforcers.  
They checked the first and second floors of the building without success, finding only long abandoned debris and garbage from whatever inhabitants had once been there but had long since moved on.  
Mika sighed as she rode the elevator to the next floor with Yayoi and Hinakawa. “…This is a waste of time,… it’s obvious no one has been here in years.”

Yayoi glanced back over her shoulder at the young inspector for a moment her lips thinning as she pressed them together, the corners turning downward fractionally, though she still hesitated to speak. A chiming sound as the elevator reached the third floor turned the group’s attention forward as the doors opened and they made their way out into the hallway to resume the search. 

The first apartments they checked were as empty as the ones already cleared. As they reached the apartments midway down the hall Hinakawa let out a sudden surprised exclamation, his head reappearing in the door way as he leaned out into the hall. “I-I found her!” 

Yayoi and Mika hurried toward the room as Hinakawa disappeared back inside the apartment. Mika paused in the doorway, to keep an eye on the hall while supervising the two enforcer’s actions. 

“Where is she?” asked Yayoi as she continued past Mika and into the apartment, glancing over at Hinakawa for a moment as he pointed, indicating one of the back rooms of the apartment in response to her question.

The room was nearly empty apart from a collection of empty food cans with labels in a foreign language which were piled in one corner, and a pile of worn slightly dirty blankets covered a portion the floor on the other side of the room. On the blankets lying on her side was a tall woman with wavy black hair that had fallen forward to half cover her face, clothed in gray slacks and a pale blue sweater. She was unconscious her hands bound behind her with a rough rope that had left cuts over the bruises on her wrists as if she had struggled against them at some point. 

Yayoi leaned forward to brush the hair out of Kiyoshiko’s face then looked back toward Mika, who had wandered a bit further into the apartment and was now standing in the outer room, nodding in confirmation. “Yes, it’s her.” 

The female enforcer dropped to one knee beside the pile of blankets Kiyoshiko was laying on, reaching for the other woman’s throat to check for a pulse. She sighed in relief as she detected a faint flutter against her fingertips, then sobered as she opened a communications channel to Akane. “This is Hound Two. I’ve located the missing person,… but there’s no sign of the suspect here. We’re in an abandoned apartment on the third floor, number 318. Please send medical assistance.” 

A muffled exclamation could be heard in the background before Ginoza’s voice came through over the communications channel as well, sounding caught somewhere between worry and reassurance. “Kunizuka. How is sh- …I mean, what is the missing person’s status?” 

Yayoi shook Kiyoshiko’s shoulder as she replied, trying to awake her. “She’s alive, but unresponsive. I think she may have been kept heavily drugged, probably to make sure she stayed unconscious.”

“…She isn’t hurt though?” asked Ginoza, after a pause. 

“No, I don’t see any evidence of severe injuries. She should be given a full exam, once she’s been taken to a hospital, to be sure.” replied Yayoi calmly as she looked over Kiyoshiko’s body for any indication that she’d been seriously hurt.

As Akane and Ginoza spoke with Yayoi, Sugo had moved a discreet distance away and was guarding the door. He looked over at Akane and Ginoza from the corner of his eye from time to time, though he was obviously trying not to listen too closely and intrude on their conversation.

Akane looked over at Ginoza, touching his arm for a moment before turning her attention back to Yayoi. “She’ll need to questioned when she wakes up,… and until the abductor is caught he may come after her again when he realizes that she’s been rescued. So for now we should take her into protective custody. I’ll clear it and instruct the ambulance to take her to the medical ward of the MWPSB when it arrives.” 

“Acknowledged Shepherd One.” came Yayoi’s voice over the communications channel. 

Akane muted the call then turned back to Ginoza. “Ginoza-san, I want you to accompany Kiyoshiko-chan back to headquarters. …Stay with her there for now. The rest of us will keep searching to see if we can pick up the abductor’s trail.”

“But-…” began Ginoza frowning, before being cut off by a shake of Akane’s head. He paused for a moment before persisting. “The search would progress more quickly if we all remain in the field.”

“Someone should stay with Kiyoshiko-chan. …that can notify me once she wakes up.” Akane smiled slightly, motioning toward the door of the abandoned building with her head. “Go on Ginoza-san. Have Kunizuka-san join me instead once you get there.”

Ginoza hesitated a few minutes longer, then nodded murmuring quiet thanks to Akane as he slid his Dominator into its holster before turning and hurrying past Sugo and out of the apartment building. 

Crossing over to the other apartment building Ginoza made his way up to the floor where Mika’s team was. Upon reaching the room he came to an abrupt stop biting his lip at the sight of Kiyoshiko lying unconscious on her back on a pile of blankets with Kunizuka’s coat draped over her. Faint bruises marked one of her cheeks and were visible on one wrist where it was laying outside the coat’s cover. Pausing in the doorway for a moment to compose himself, he took a breath and stepped into the room relaying Akane’s instructions before going over to replace the female enforcer at Kiyoshiko’s side.

Ginoza nodded in response to Yayoi’s brief touch on his shoulder before she moved away, then knelt beside Kiyoshiko, drawing in a soft breath as his fingers brushed the marks on her wrist when he tucked her hand back beneath Yayoi’s coat. “I’m sorry…” he murmured under his breath. 

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Mika and Hinakawa began instructing the evidence collecting drones to examine the apartment for clues. Finally after what felt like a lengthy wait an ambulance arrived and Ginoza silently watched as Kiyoshiko was placed onto a stretcher and loaded inside it, hesitating a moment before climbing in alongside her.

When the ambulance arrived at the MWPSB it was met by staff from the medical ward, with Shion waiting just inside the doors. Ginoza hurried alongside the stretcher partway down the hall as Kiyoshiko was wheeled inside and into one of the elevators, then came to a stop looking away from the closing elevator doors as he bit his lip. _That’s enough… I have to stop…_

“Hey… Ginoza-san, she’ll be all right.” came Shion’s voice from just behind him breaking into Ginoza’s thoughts. “They know what they’re doing. …It will take a while for them check her over so why don’t you go and try to relax for now. …I’ll let you know when they get her settled in a room.”

Ginoza glanced back at Shion, nodding slightly before turning away and walking toward the elevators as well to make his way up to his quarters. However once there he found himself unable to relax or catch up on the rest he was increasingly feeling the strain of having lost. Ginoza alternated between pacing in the limited space of his room, and sinking down on the couch to stare into space, almost falling into a doze before rousing himself. And finally, once Shion informed him that Kiyoshiko had been taken to a room, going up to the analyst’s lab periodically to check on her status.


	3. Chapter 3

“…Back again Ginoza-san?” asked Shion without turning around as she heard the door of the lab hiss open behind her followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. She waited until the steps came to a stop a few feet behind her before spinning her chair around, as she exhaled a cloud of smoke, to study the tall, dark haired enforcer.  
A frown twisted one side of her mouth as she took in his worn appearance. “…You look terrible. When was the last time you slept?” 

Ginoza sighed, shaking his head as he folded his arms across his chest, before nodding toward the screens behind Shion. “Karanomori,… please.”

“All right…” murmured Shion with a sigh of her own as she spun back around to tap at her keyboard. A moment later video feed of a room in the MWPSB’s hospital ward appeared in a corner of the screen. In the bed was Kiyoshiko, her wavy black hair spread out over the pillow as she lay, still sleeping off the effects of the drugs her captor had administered. “…You know, Ginoza-san. It would probably be simpler for you to check up on her by actually going down to her room? She’s likely to still be unconscious for a little while longer, given how heavily she was drugged.”

“No… the less she’s involved from here on, the better.” murmured Ginoza half to himself, his eyes fixed on the screen as he moved a couple of steps closer.

Shion half turned in her chair to look up at Ginoza. “Well you know that Akane-chan or someone will have to question her about what she can remember once she wakes up… So she’s going to have to still be involved in the case at least a little bit longer.” began the blonde analyst before pausing, her gaze sharpening a bit. “…Unless you’re talking about something else? …Just who exactly would her not being involved be better for?”

Ginoza’s eyes lingered on the screen for a moment longer before he squared his shoulders and looked away to stare at a point on the far wall. “Obviously for her. …This is the second time already that she’s gotten wrapped up in an incident tied to us and the MWPSB. …Like Inspector Shimotsuki said, it’s a mistake for civilians to be involved.”

“I see…” said Shion, her expression skeptical as she eyed Ginoza for a moment before turning back to her keyboard. “Even so, it doesn’t seem to have done her any lasting damage so far. …Let me show you something.”  
A medical chart appeared on screen, tracking a hue and crime coefficient over time. The psychopass it tracked was pale lavender, accompanied by a crime coefficient of 53.6, which remained almost consistently unclouded over the tracked span. “See, this is Kiyoshiko-chan’s psycho-pass, and apart from where it clouded briefly during the bombing incident last year it’s stayed completely stable…” 

Looking away from the screen again after a glance Ginoza started to open his mouth to reply only to be stopped by Shion’s upraised finger as she signaled him to wait. She glanced toward the doors for a moment before typing in another command.  
“There’s something else you should see. This one is yours…” She began as another chart came up on the screen.

“Wait… how do you have access to all of this?” asked Ginoza, looking down at Shion with a frown.

“You know employee medical care gets shunted off onto me. …And while Kiyoshiko-chan is here, I can get access to her medical records too.” retorted Shion, smirking slightly as she drew on her cigarette leaning back in her chair a bit to look up at Ginoza briefly. “That’s not the point though. …Look at this.” She added, indicating the screen with a nod as she leaned forward again to continue typing. “This is what your crime coefficient was toward the end of last year… and this is what it was during your most recent scan.” 

“What exactly is your point Karanomori?” Ginoza sighed, beginning to lose patience with the discussion. “I know what my coefficient is…” he began before breaking off as he looked back to the screen. It read 138.  
Ginoza blinked, his eyes widening for a moment before narrowing as he leaned forward intently. “…How is this possible?...” he murmured softly. 

“I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine at this point Ginoza-san.” said Shion, leaning back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest as she studied the screen as well. “…It’s not supposed to be possible according to Sybil.”

“But what proof is there that Michi-san has anything to do with it?” asked Ginoza, looking back and forth between Shion and the screen with a suspicious expression. “…There could be some other explanation.”

“I think it’s a bit unlikely.” Shion shook her head, changing the readout to a graph showing the drop over time, before reaching up to tap a point on it with a polished fingernail. “The change started just after Christmas. …And we all know that something happened between you two around that time.” She said, turning to look at Ginoza with a smile, which for once was not entirely teasing. 

Ginoza made a soft noise, folding his arms over his chest as he looked away, his expression closing off. “That’s really none of your business.”

“Well it’s safe to say that at the very least it’s likely that she’s had a positive effect on you.” added Shion, as she lit another cigarette after stubbing out her last one in the ashtray on her desk. “Do you realize how unprecedented something like this is? …It’s unheard of for an active enforcer’s crime coefficient to go down even a few points. There’s no way of telling how much it could change over time…”

“It doesn’t matter.” said Ginoza firmly. “It’s not just about that… she’s been pulled into things here enough already.” _She’s already been put into danger twice,… the next time… something worse could happen._ thought Ginoza his lips pressing into a thin line. _I have to put a stop to it now,… before that happens._

“So what exactly is this about then…? You know her psycho pass isn’t being clouded. …And if it’s just that she’s gotten caught up in things, there’s nothing to prove that it wouldn’t have happened anyway. You should know by now that no one can prevent every bad thing from happening, …no matter how much they might want to…” Shion shook her head, exhaling a cloud of smoke, as she looked at Ginoza with a slight frown. “…Or how hard they try.” 

“I-…” Ginoza hesitated for a moment then shook his head, his expression hardening. “That’s not for you to say.” 

An incredulous scoff escaped Shion’s lips as she shook her head again. “Don’t you have any idea how lucky you are? How can you be so willing to just give it all up like that? She should get to have a say too, …You should talk to her. Maybe it’s a risk she thinks is worth taking.”

_I could never be so fortunate…_ Ginoza’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before he reopened them, turning to leave the lab. “…I don’t have time for this.”

**~~~~~~**

After the ambulance had left Akane, Sugo, and Yayoi had spread out to canvas the surrounding area for anyone that might have seen the abductor or signs of activity around the abandoned apartment buildings, leaving Mika and Hinakawa to monitor the evidence collecting drones that were scouring the room Kiyoshiko had been found in for clues. The search of the neighborhood had been going on for the past few hours with little to no success. 

Akane sighed, as she deactivated the Komissa holosuit. “We’re not making any progress like this. How could no one have seen anything? We don’t even know if we’re looking in the right area, all of the crime scenes have been spread out so far…” She murmured to herself. Leaning back against the wall of a nearby building she lit a cigarette, holding it loosely between her fingers as she thought. _I was able to figure out what all the victims had in common that was making the abductor choose them,… but how can I find him? Sitting and waiting for him to strike again isn’t an option, if he even will now that we rescued Kiyoshiko-chan. …He has to know we’ll try to stop him._

“Having some trouble?” asked a deep voice from beside Akane. 

Startled Akane’s head jerked up at the familiar voice, her expression confused for a moment. “K-kogami-san?!”

The tall spikey haired man standing next to her laughed at her surprised reaction, leaning back against the wall with one hand in the pocket of his worn olive green pants as he looked over at Akane. “I didn’t mean to startle you Inspector.”

Akane looked to the side frowning slightly, taking in the figure beside her wearing a black long sleeve shirt and dog tags. After a moment she sighed quietly looking forward once more as she let her head fall back against the wall. “…You’re still in SEAUn…” she murmured quietly. 

Kogami made a soft sound of assent as he nodded exhaling a cloud of smoke from his cigarette before letting his hand fall to his side. “Sorry about that…”

Akane shook her head, the brick of the building behind her catching at her hair before she straightened. When she looked back over at Kogami, his clothing had shifted to the suit and tie he had typically worn while an enforcer. 

Kogami glanced down at his clothes, then looked back up at Akane studying her with a bemused expression for a moment before settling back against the wall. “…So, tell me about this case of yours…”

“I’ve managed to put together a basic profile of the abductor,… and figure out why he’s been choosing the victims he has, sort of… there are still some of his motivations I haven’t quite uncovered…” began Akane, frowning thoughtfully as she spoke, her gaze on the ground. “…The main problem right now is figuring out where he is… how to find him before he can take anyone else.”

“I see. So you’ve managed to figure out a lot of the details already then. There’s another kind of profiling technique you can use to give you a bit more. …Have you ever heard about geographic profiling?” asked Kogami, looking over at Akane.

“Um,… I think I remember reading about something called that in one of the books you’d left behind,… or maybe it was one that Professor Saiga had…?” murmured Akane, her expression a bit uncertain.

“It’s good to hear that not all the books I’d had to leave behind are going to waste locked up in an evidence room or incinerated, I guess.” Kogami smirked slightly, as he exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigarette. “…Okay, well either way it’s one you can use here. It should help you find where whoever is doing this is now.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Akane, tilting her head a bit as she looked over at Kogami curiously.

“Think about where he’s taken people from so far…” instructed Kogami. 

Akane pursed her lips, as she mentally reviewed the information that was in the case file. “Well… the first victim was last seen near the outskirts of Chiyoda, the second one Hideyoshi-san was taken from Shibuya, and Kiyoshiko-chan was abducted close to the museum she works at that’s in Meguro.” 

“All right.” agreed Kogami, nodding as he tucked both hands in his pockets, his cigarette dangling from his lips. “Now what about where the first two victims were found?”

“…Mio Takara, the first victim, was found in the remains of what used to be some sort temple or graveyard in Setagaya, and the second victim’s body was found at a park in Minato.” said Akane looking downward, watching absently as a bit of ash fell from the end of the cigarette she was holding in loose fingers, as she thought.

Kogami nodded. “All right now think of the location of each crime and the location of the bodies as points on a map. …They should lay out a rough pattern showing where the abductor has been. You can use that as a guide to figure out where he probably hides between crimes… It would probably be some point that’s central to all of them. Call it his ‘comfort zone’.”

“Um… okay.” murmured Akane frowning faintly in concentration. “…Well the first crime took place closest to the MWPSB… and they’ve been getting further away since then… with the first victim being found at the furthest point away…” She trailed off, glancing over at Kogami. 

“Now in the old days the theory was that with each success the offender would get more confident and travel greater distances with each crime. So their comfort zone would be closest to where the first crimes and body dumps took place. Though not too close so they’d still have some sort of a buffer zone. …But now unless your suspect is completely throwing caution to the wind, that’s more difficult…” began Kogami, glancing over at Akane to see if she would follow his line of thought. 

“Because he’d be more likely to be picked up by a street scanner the longer he was out in the open... and his psycho-pass would be getting progressively worse after each crime he commits, which would increase the chances too.” murmured Akane looking over at Kogami for conformation. 

Kogami nodded. “Right, so what would he probably do instead?”

“The opposite would probably be true now,… that he would start with some sort of ‘buffer zone’ but eventually have to find victims closer and closer to his ‘comfort zone’.” Akane frowned as she thought for a moment, before looking over at Kogami once more.

“Good.” said Kogami smiling as met her gaze out of the corner of his eyes. “So are there any areas near where the last victim was taken where someone could stay out of sight more easily?”

Akane glanced down at the cigarette that was still held loosely in her fingers, before she gasped her eyes widening as she looked back up. “…The abolition block!”

“Perfect. Now go get him.” said Kogami with a laugh as he clapped her on the shoulder.

The action rocked Akane forward slightly, jarring her cigarette from her loose grip. She looked to the side, half expecting Kogami to somehow miraculously be standing there, only to find the space empty. Her face fell, and she glanced down at the fallen cigarette for a moment before putting it out with her foot as she opened a comm channel. “This is Shepherd One. I know where the abductor is. Everyone rendezvous at the vehicles in two minutes.”

A chorus of acknowledgements came over the channel, followed by Mika’s voice interjecting once the noise died down. “How could you possibly know something like that already?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” said Akane as she started toward the waiting vehicles, her expression determined.

**~~~~~~**

Ginoza leaned back against the wall next to the door in Kiyoshiko’s room, his arms folded over his chest as he stared across the room at the woman unconscious on the bed.  
_Despite what Karanomori said… this isn’t a good idea. If what she suspects is correct it’s even more imperative for Kiyoshiko to be as far away from all of this as possible. …Before anyone else makes a similar connection._ thought Ginoza, a growing frown beginning to take over his features. _There have been too many odd things that have happened to make it wise to do anything to attract attention to an abnormality like that…_

The enforcer’s attention was drawn from his thoughts by a soft noise as Kiyoshiko stirred, her eyelids beginning to flutter as she approached consciousness. Her hands moved restlessly over the bedsheets as her breaths came more quickly. Suddenly Kiyoshiko sat upright with a soft cry, her hands lashing out blindly through the air for a moment before striking the railing on either side of the bed. The dark haired woman gasped in surprise, and drew back fearfully, her head turning as if trying to see what was around her. 

Ginoza bit his lip, feeling his insides twist as he took in her anxious expression, before looking away for a moment to steel himself. “Michi-san. It’s all right, you’re safe now.” He started to walk toward the bed to take her hand and calm her, before stopping himself and stepping back to the wall once more. “You’re at MWPSB headquarters.”

At the sound of his voice Kiyoshiko flinched, drawing back with a soft gasp, before pausing as the familiarity of Ginoza’s voice and the words accompanying it finally registered. Hesitantly she lifted her head, frowning slightly. “…N-nobuchika? …I-is that you?”

“…Yes. I’m here.” said Ginoza after a moment’s hesitation, nodding slightly. He stayed where he was on the far side of the room. 

She held out a slightly shaking hand in the direction Ginoza’s voice was coming from. “Where-…Where are you?...” she murmured frowning a bit as she kept her hand extended for a minute or two before letting it fall to her lap. “…Is- …there something wrong?”

“No.” Ginoza sighed quietly, finally pushing off the wall and moving to stand closer to Kiyoshiko’s bed, staying just outside of reach. “…Tsunemori will want to question you about what you remember about what happened. But after that you should leave as soon as possible. …Do you have anyone you can stay with for a while once you’re released? …Family or friends perhaps.”

“…Not really-…” Kiyoshiko shook her head slightly, gripping the bed sheet for a moment before forcing her hand back open. “…A co-worker maybe,… but I wouldn’t want to trouble anyone.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Is it necessary? Surely it would be all right for me to just go home, you were able to find me so you must have found the person who-… abducted me too...”

“Yes. It’s necessary.” said Ginoza, nodding firmly as he folded his arms across his chest. “It’s better if you don’t stay here any longer than needed. …And,… this should be the last time we see each other.”

“What? …Why?” Kiyoshiko’s frown deepened as she turned her face up toward Ginoza. “It’s obvious that there must be something wrong, for you to act the way you are… but I don’t understand why you’re so insistent about this. Why won’t you tell me what it is?”

“Because I can’t protect you. Don’t you understand that?” Ginoza shook his head, sighing as he felt a sense of irritation beginning to overcome him. “And you can’t protect yourself either. You haven’t seen how bad things can be, even here in Japan. … You don’t even have the slightest idea of how great the risks really are! You’re not qualified to make a decision about this! Besides it’s not as if we can ever really have any kind of life together anyway!”

“That’s not fair! I’m the same age as you Ginoza-san, not a child that just needs someone to protect her from everything. And I may not do and see all the things that you and Akane-chan do. But I have at least some idea of what the risks are. That something could happen to either of us. That’s a part of life, even here. I’ve known that all along, it’s the same for everyone! I’m capable of deciding something like that for myself.” said Kiyoshiko frowning as she leaned forward slightly, her expression challenging. “Why do you suddenly want to put an end to things now?”

Ginoza clenched his hands into fists at his sides, gritting his teeth in frustration as he looked down at the floor. “Because it’s not safe for you to be involved! Surely even you can see that after what just happened. You were lucky this time, who knows what might happen if things stay the way they are! It was a mistake for me to let things go this far. To put you in danger like this …Because something always happens to the people I love!” half-shouted Ginoza, his eyes widening a moment later as he realized what he had said. 

Green eyes slowly lifted from the floor to meet Kiyoshiko’s sightless ones, studying her as both of them panted slightly. The room was abruptly silent in the wake of the pair’s argument except for the soft sounds of the medical equipment in the background. After a moment Ginoza looked away, forcing his hands to open as he tried to compose himself. A few minutes later a hint of a smile touched Kiyoshiko’s lips as a soft breath of startled laugher slipped past them. 

“What? …How is that funny?” Ginoza frowned, drawing back a bit in confusion, a hurt look flickering briefly thorough his eyes. 

“No, I’m sorry. It’s not funny. …It’s just that, that’s the first time you’ve said that to me.” said Kiyoshiko as she shook her head, still wearing a half smile. “Nobuchika,… what is it that you want?” She paused for a moment, her fingers moving over the bed sheet as if smoothing it. “…Setting aside for a minute things like the danger, the time apart, and what might happen to either of us. What do you really want?”

“I-… I don’t know.” murmured Ginoza, closing his eyes as he fell silent for a few minutes before continuing in a low voice. “…I don’t want to lose anyone else. And I’m tired. Of losing the people I care about,… of being left behind... I-I can’t…” He pressed his lips together, shaking his head slightly and taking a breath before continuing.  
Ginoza glanced at Kiyoshiko for a moment before closing his eyes once more. “I don’t want to lose you either. ” he added in a voice just above a whisper, putting his hands on the railing of the bed as he leaned forward, his exhaustion showing through a bit more clearly before he lowered his head. “…But there are too many risks to you if we’re together. And there’s really no reason for you to stay and let yourself be put in danger.” _It’s not fair for me to do this to you when it’s not as if there’s anything I have left to offer…_

“Nobuchika…” murmured Kiyoshiko as she tilted her head back, turning her face up toward Ginoza as she slowly reached out to touch the back of one of his hands. “I’m not afraid… at least not so much that it’s going to change my mind about anything. I want to stay. Even with the risks, I think staying is worth it.”

Reopening his eyes at her touch Ginoza frowned studying Kiyoshiko with an uncertain expression, as he shook his head fractionally. “…I don’t understand… Why?”

“Because…” said Kiyoshiko reaching up to brush the fingertips of one hand lightly over Ginoza’s cheek before cupping his face. “I love you too. …No matter what happens.”

Ginoza gasped softly before squeezing his suddenly burning eyes closed, as he reached a shaking hand upward to the hand resting on his cheek. His fingers closed around Kiyoshiko’s hand squeezing tightly as he let out a shuddering breath, his throat tightening beyond speech even if he could think of anything sensible to say. _Oh…_


	4. Chapter 4

Akane turned her attention from the road for a moment as the car’s communication system signaled an incoming call. She quickly turned the car to auto-drive before opening the channel, Ginoza’s voice came over the line moments later. “Shepherd One, …Have you made any progress yet locating the abductor?” 

“We have, we’re headed to the location where we believe his hideout is now to make the arrest.” replied Akane, after a moment’s pause she continued. “What about things there?… How is Kiyoshiko-chan?” 

“That’s why I was calling actually.” said Ginoza, the sound of a door hissing closed behind him could be heard in the background as he stepped out into the hall. “She regained consciousness a little while ago. She seems to still be a bit tired from the drugs she was given, but once they’ve fully cleared her system she should be fine.”

Akane smiled at the news, nodding slightly to herself. “That’s great, Ginoza-san! …We should be back soon so stay there for now. I’ll come and talk to her once we get back. Since the crimes weren’t captured on camera, anything she can remember will be important.” The brunette inspector paused for a moment taking the car off auto-drive as she and the paddy wagon that was following her vehicle, arrived at the abolition block and guided the car to a stop. “…We’re about to move in on the abolition block now.” 

“All right.” Ginoza said, then hesitated for a moment before continuing. “…Tsunemori, be careful. …Don’t do anything reckless.”

“Yes, Ginoza-san… I’ll be careful.” replied Akane, her smile warming for a moment, though it couldn’t be seen over the voice-only channel. “ I’ll be back soon.” She added before ending the call as she got out of the car, going over to where Mika and the enforcers had gathered and were waiting.

“So you think that the suspect is here in the abolition block because of some sort of profile you came up with?” said Mika as Akane came over to join them. “Why didn’t we come across any evidence of that the first time when we were searching then?”

Akane shook her head, as she opened a communications channel to Shion so the analyst would be able to hear what was being said as well. “Because by then the suspect had probably already returned to wherever his hideout is… and considering that he’s been here for a while he’s obviously figured out how to keep it from being noticed by anyone that’s not looking for it.” said Akane before turning her attention to the enforcers as well. “That’s why we’re going to search again, but this time I’ve had Karanomori-san checking to see if there are any cameras that had malfunctions but unlike the ones at the scenes of the abductions seemed to be functioning abnormally afterward, for instance with altered video feeds.”

“I guess that’s my cue.” came Shion’s voice over the comm channel, as Akane paused for a moment.

“Karanomori-san, have you found anything yet?” asked Akane. 

“I’m not sure…” replied Shion, the sound of her fingers moving quickly over her keyboard could be heard in the background. “I’ve been checking the cameras in the abolition block, but so far I’ve only found one that had a malfunction like the ones we’ve seen when the victims were taken. …And I had to go back quite a while to even find that,… it happened last year.”

Akane made a soft sound in acknowledgement as she nodded. “That could be what we’re looking for. Where was the malfunction?” 

“Ah…” said Shion, her voice sounding intrigued. “That’s the interesting thing. …It’s right in the area where that jamming field was during the bombing incident.” She paused for a moment to let that bit of information sink in before continuing. “Which means that you might run into the same problem staying in contact as last time. …So I’ve been working on a little something that might help with that based on some of the adjustments that Yayoi and I had made to the comms last time, but it’s untested. So you should all stay in groups in case you run into trouble. …I’m sending the program and a map to you now. …No need to thank me.” added Shion, her teasing smile audible over the channel. 

A soft laugh escaped Akane’s lips despite the seriousness of the situation. “Thank you Karanomori-san. We’ll be careful.” She looked down at her wrist link, activating the program Shion had sent before looking back up, to see the others nod as they did the same. 

Mika scoffed lightly, then returned her attention to the map that the analyst had sent. “According to this map it looks like there’s some sort of underground entrance near the area where the camera is. It might be a good place to hide, …assuming this is even anything more than an unrelated malfunction.” 

“Well we’ll start there then.” said Akane, as she pulled her dominator from its holster, leading the way to the underground entrance. The others followed her, with Yayoi and Sugo moving ahead to take the lead, surrounding the two inspectors with Hinakawa keeping watch from behind as they moved underground.

As they reached the bottom of the steps and paused on the landing Sugo took a flashlight from a pocket of his jacket, shining it ahead of them. The light revealed a pair of arched openings set in the far wall several yards apart. He shifted the light toward each of them in turn, the flashlight only managing to illuminate the first few feet, before looking back over his shoulder at Akane for instructions. 

“Do we have a map of the area down here?” asked Akane, looking over at the others for a moment. 

Yayoi keyed a command into her wrist link then looked back up at Akane. “Only a partial one,… and it looks like it’s been revised several times so I can’t be sure how accurate it is.”

“Hmm… then we’ll split up. Kunizuka-san and Hinakawa-san will go with Inspector Shimotsuki and check out the passage on the right. Sugo-san, you and I will take the one on the left.” said Akane, as the others nodded in response. “Stay in contact. And let the other team know if you find anything.” 

Mika produced a second flashlight and handed it to Yayoi motioning for the female enforcer to take the lead as they started toward the right hand opening. At a nod from Akane, Sugo started toward the other entrance his dominator held ready. Both teams made their way down the passageways, both eventually ending up in a long corridor that ran at a right angle to the passages they’d just left and stretched beyond the beam of the flashlights in opposite directions. 

“Well that was kind of a waste, there was no need to split up. We both ended up in the same place.” muttered Mika, aiming her flashlight toward Akane’s team for a moment. 

“We’ve gone beyond the range of the map though so we didn’t have any-…” began Akane before abruptly breaking off, holding her hand up for quiet as a sudden metallic clang and scuffling sound came from further down the corridor. She signaled to the others and the group sprang forward to follow the source of the sound.   
Several yards down the corridor the flashlights illuminated a metal door in one wall, which unlike the rest of the underground looked as if it had been used recently. 

“Here, this is probably what made the sound.” murmured Akane softly. She gazed at the door a moment longer then stepped back to allow Sugo and Hinakawa to wrench the door open before the pair quickly led the way inside. 

On the other side of the door was a large open area that while only dimly lit seemed cleaner than any space they had encountered underground so far. At Akane’s signal the group spread out, scanning the area with both flashlights and dominators.   
As Sugo passed by a portion of the wall that was hung with a sheet, he reached out to pull it back to make sure it didn’t conceal a hidden room or passage way. When he did a young man that looked to be in his mid-twenties with light brown hair burst from behind it, shoving the enforcer out of the way and to the ground as he tried to dart toward the room’s exit. While falling Sugo made a grab for the man managing catch hold of the back of his clothing to pull him down as well. The two men rolled on the floor for a minute or two grappling with each other as the brown haired young man continued trying to escape. “Stop fighting!” grunted Sugo, trying to contain the other man’s struggles for escape as Akane and the others gathered from the other parts of the room, Dominators held ready as they waited for a clear shot or for the suspect to be subdued. 

“We’re with the MWPSB. Give yourself up peacefully.” ordered Akane, just as the brown haired man elbowed Sugo in the face, managing to break the enforcer’s grip, and scramble to his feet. He momentarily shot a confused look in Akane’s direction before turning to sprint toward the door, only to collapse a few steps later as Hinakawa and Mika took aim, their Dominators registering the man’s crime coefficient of 285, before firing. 

Akane sighed softly lowering her Dominator, before looking over to where Sugo was as Yayoi extended a hand to help the dark haired enforcer up. His free hand covered his nose, though small trickles of blood still escaped to drip from his chin as he got to his feet. The female enforcer gave Sugo a nod of approval before moving away as Mika began instructing them to bring in forensic drones to collect evidence from the scene.

“Are you all right?” Akane asked her expression concerned, before adding after a brief pause as she took in the dripping blood. “…You need to be sure to get that looked at.” 

The tall man winced a bit as he nodded in response. “I will. ….When we get back.” He murmured his voice sounding a bit muffled.

After a moment Akane nodded, starting to turn away to go and see to the unconscious suspect before looking back over her shoulder smiling a bit. “Good work Sugo-san.”

She took a moment to handcuff the suspect and check that he was relatively uninjured after the scuffle with Sugo and being paralyzed by the Dominator. She called for an ambulance to come to the location of the entrance to the underground, then began to assist with the search of the living area. Behind the sheet the suspect had been behind Akane discovered an alcove. Against the alcove wall lay a device the size of a large suitcase which had been smashed.   
“Hmm…” murmured Akane as she bent to study the device, reaching out to flip a switch on it before pulling back as the device sparked a few times before emitting a puff of smoke. _Could this have been what was causing the jamming before?_ She thought as she looked over to where Yayoi had just handed Sugo an ice pack from the first aid kit, waving the female enforcer over as she instructed for the device to be taken back to the lab for analysis. 

After arriving at MWPSB headquarters once the search of the underground area was finished, Akane oversaw the transfer of the prisoner to a secure section of the medical ward where he would be confined until he regained consciousness and recovered from the effects of the Dominator’s non-lethal paralyzer enough to be questioned. She then returned briefly to Division One’s squad room to give further instructions to the rest of the team before finally making her way to Kiyoshiko’s room in the medical ward. 

Akane paused just outside the door for a moment to catch her breath and collect her thoughts before keying the door to open. The door slid aside to reveal Kiyoshiko, lightly dozing in the partially raised bed. Next to the bed Ginoza sat in the only chair in the room, slumped forward with his head resting on his flesh arm which was propped up on the railing of the bed, asleep. His other hand lay on the edge of the bed, loosely holding Kiyoshiko’s right hand. Akane smiled to herself as she stepped into the room, the door hissing softly closed behind her. 

Kiyoshiko stirred at the sound as Akane stepped toward the bed, opening her eyes and lifting her head from the pillow as she turned toward the sound of Akane’s footsteps. 

“Oh you’re awake, Kiyoshiko-chan… How-” began Akane, with a smile, before Kiyoshiko raised a hand signaling for quiet as she turned her head for a moment to motion toward Ginoza’s sleeping form. 

Kiyoshiko looked back to Akane with a slight smile, letting her hand fall to her lap as she gently slid her other hand free from where it rested in Ginoza’s, being careful not to disturb the sleeping enforcer. The tall dark haired woman slid to the edge of the bed before cautiously standing, and Akane reached out to take hold of Kiyoshiko’s elbow, steadying her. “…We should talk outside,… so we won’t wake him.” whispered Kiyoshiko softly to Akane. 

Akane nodded in agreement, keeping her hand on Kiyoshiko’s elbow to guide her. Once they were outside the door she led the way to a short row of chairs positioned along one side of the hallway. “We can sit here and talk.” said Akane letting go of Kiyoshiko as she moved to sit in one of the chairs, facing her. “…First of all,… tell me how you’re feeling. Are you all right?” asked Akane, as Kiyoshiko sat down.

“I think so.” said Kiyoshiko, nodding as she absently fingered the bandages on her wrists for a moment before stilling her fingers, folding her hands in her lap instead. “I think I was lucky, I wasn’t hurt too badly…only a few bruises and scrapes from what Karanomori-san and the nurses said.” She offered Akane a weak smile. “…Nobu-… Ginoza-kun said that you would want to ask me about what I remember?”

“…Yes… but are you sure you’re ready?” asked Akane hesitantly, studying Kiyoshiko as she reached out to touch the taller woman’s shoulder. “It will be several hours at least before I’ll be able to question the suspect. …You can take a bit more time to recover first Kiyoshiko-chan...”

“Best to get it over with though,… right?” said Kiyoshiko, her smile growing increasingly shaky, before she turned away slightly taking a breath and letting it out slowly as she collected herself before turning back to Akane. “…Please, go ahead.”

Akane frowned subtly, but nodded lifting her hand from Kiyoshiko’s shoulder as she set her wrist link to record their words. “All right, if you’re sure.” She began, sitting back in her chair a bit. “…Start with the last thing you recall from the day you were taken…”

“Um,… I was walking home after work and had gotten a few blocks from the museum when someone bumped into me. At least I thought that was all it was, but whoever it was grabbed my arm and pulled me into an alley. …I think, it was hard to tell exactly.” began Kiyoshiko, shaking her head.   
“…Anyway when that happened I’d tried to pull away from him. At first he wouldn’t let go. I somehow managed to break free for a minute, but I lost my bearings while I was trying to get away and ran into a wall. …It was enough that he managed to catch me again. …After that,… nothing…” Kiyoshiko’s voice trailed off as she bit her lip, clasping her hands in her lap to hide the subtle tremor that shook them.

“It’s all right, you’re doing good.” said Akane, smiling encouragingly. “What about later? We know you were kept unconscious, but did you wake up at all? Or even enough to sense anything about where you were or what might have been happening?”

Kiyoshiko frowned a bit as she thought back, then finally nodded. “Yes,… I wasn’t awake most of the time,… but I think I did wake up once. …That was when this happened.” She said, touching the bandages on her wrists. “I was inside somewhere that smelled, old… dusty. You know,…like it hadn’t been cleaned or taken care of in a long time. And I was on something soft. It smelled too, a musty smell…and something else, whatever it was it smelled terrible. … I was tied up, or at least my hands were… I’d tried to move… to break the rope, or something… but it just cut my wrists.” added Kiyoshiko, pausing and biting her lip for a moment as her voice wavered.

“Okay, that’s good.” murmured Akane nodding as she keyed some notes into her wrist link as it continued recording. “Is there anything else you can tell me? …Maybe about the person that abducted you?”

“…I’m not sure…” murmured Kiyoshiko, shaking her head. “I couldn’t really focus,… most of what I remember isn’t very clear. …He came in for a few minutes when I woke up, and pulled me up by my arm. It hurt,… and he did something, maybe gave me more of whatever he was using to keep me unconscious. I passed out again after that… but he was saying something. …I can’t remember what-… It was strange…” Kiyoshiko trailed off frowning.

“Hmm…” murmured Akane, looking up from her wrist link to study Kiyoshiko. “…You’re sure you can’t remember at all?” she asked, sighing softly as the raven haired woman shook her head in response, before reaching out to touch her shoulder briefly. “All right, it’s okay. …Maybe it will come to you later. I think that’s enough for now.” Akane paused for a moment as she ended her wrist link’s recording, before starting to rise from her chair, Kiyoshiko got to her feet as well. Akane looked up at the taller woman. “There’s one more thing,… Do you think you’d be able to identify the abductor? If you were to listen in during his interview maybe…?” 

Stiffening Kiyoshiko turned toward Akane, her eyes wide and startled. “…I- I don’t know. …I’m not sure, I mean I was only awake for a few minutes and-…” 

“It will be okay. You’ll be safe.” interjected a male voice still slightly rough with sleep, followed by a hand coming to rest on Kiyoshiko’s shoulder. “I’ll go with you... you don’t have anything to worry about.” said Ginoza as he came to a stop just behind Kiyoshiko.

Akane looked up at Ginoza, nodding appreciatively. 

Kiyoshiko hesitated a moment, reaching up to touch Ginoza’s hand where it rested on her shoulder, and took a breath before nodding. “Okay, I’ll try. …If I hear his voice again I might be able to recognize it.” she said, her expression calming, shifting gradually toward resolve.

“Thank you.” said Akane smiling.

Ginoza let his hand fall back to his side as he moved to stand beside the two women. He looked over at Akane as he folded his arms across his chest. “I assume that means you were able to arrest the suspect then. …Has he said anything yet?”

Akane shook her head, frowning a bit. “No,… he’s still unconscious from the effects of the paralyzer, but even when we’d cornered him he never said anything. …It was a little strange actually. …Even though he tried to run, I’m not sure if he really understood what was going on.”

“That is unusual.” agreed Ginoza, frowning as well. “It’s not as if it would be terribly difficult to figure out, especially once you’d identified yourself and moved in to capture him. …Was there anything at the scene that might have explained it?”

“Not really,… the evidence is still being collected and analyzed, but there wasn’t much there… just a minimal living space with a few foreign books and some food supplies.” said Akane, scanning some information on her wrist link. “…Actually that was another odd thing, it looked like there might have been two people living there at one point. …And it was below where that jamming field was last year during the bombing incident.”

“Could there be some connection then? Between this suspect and the illegal immigrant,… that was there then?” asked Ginoza, glancing over at Kiyoshiko as he hesitated for a moment before finishing his sentence, his gaze intent as he looked back to Akane.

“Oh!...” murmured Kiyoshiko softly, drawing Akane and Ginoza’s attention. “That was it… that was what was strange.”

“Hmm?” murmured Ginoza and Akane in unison as they looked over at Kiyoshiko. “…Did you remember something about the abductor?” asked Akane.

Kiyoshiko nodded. “About what he was saying… he was speaking English. …It’s been so long since I’ve heard it spoken very much,… but that wasn’t the strange thing. It was the way he spoke, not like someone from Japan that learned the language, but like a native speaker. …I think he might be an American.”

“You’re sure?” asked Ginoza, raising an eyebrow as he studied Kiyoshiko. “What would someone from NorAL be doing in Japan?”

“I don’t know… but I’m sure.” replied Kiyoshiko, turning toward Ginoza as she nodded firmly. 

“Either way… it’s useful information.” said Akane, catching both Ginoza and Kiyoshiko with her gaze. “We still have a little while longer before the suspect will be ready for questioning. …So we still have some time to prepare. …Kiyoshiko-chan, you should probably rest until then.” added Akane, smiling gently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anywhere in North America is actually mentioned in canon, but in this little AU-verse of mine NorAL is the futuristic version of the USA and Canada. More on it in my next story.


	5. Chapter 5

Several hours later the suspect had regained consciousness and was able to move from the secure medical ward to one of the interrogation rooms. Akane, Ginoza, and Kiyoshiko made their way toward the interrogation room the prisoner was confined in as Akane went over her instructions a final time. 

“Kiyoshiko-chan… you’ll be in a room next door where you’ll be able to hear when the suspect speaks. Hopefully you’ll be able to tell if it’s the man who abducted you or not. …Ginoza-san is going to stay there with you.” explained Akane, as she came to a stop outside the pair of rooms, waiting until Kiyoshiko had nodded before looking over at Ginoza as she continued. “Ginoza-san, please signal me as we discussed if Kiyoshiko-chan is able to identify the suspect.”

“All right.” said Ginoza nodding in agreement. “You’re certain you won’t take someone in with you? …Sugo or even Kunizuka would be-…” 

Akane shook her head, causing Ginoza’s words to trail off, as she smiled up at him. “No,… the suspect is restrained, so I’ll be fine Ginoza-san.”

“Very well.” sighed Ginoza softly looking at Akane for a moment before continuing. “Please,… Be careful Tsunemori.”

“Of course.” replied Akane, watching as Ginoza guided Kiyoshiko into the observation room, waiting until the door had closed behind them before turning to enter the interrogation room where the suspect was waiting.  
Akane stepped into the room, seating herself at the table across from the suspect and folding her hands on the table top in front of her before looking up at the suspect. “We’ve found some interesting things in your hideout. Where would you like to start with explaining them?” said Akane in Japanese as she watched the man across the table from her closely. “It seemed as if you intended to purchase passage to NorAL for two people. You were planning to take your most recent victim with you. Why did you want to take her to NorAL?”

As Akane first mentioned NorAL the suspect’s eyes widened slightly, an almost unnoticeable flinch of surprise passing through him, before his eyes narrowed again. He watched her intently as she continued as if trying to figure out just how much she might know even if he couldn’t understand her words. 

Akane’s attention to the suspect intensified as she caught the man’s slight reaction to the mention of NorAL. _It looks like Kiyoshiko-chan was right, …and that this is the person we were looking for. …Now to just figure out how to get him to talk…_ thought Akane, nodding fractionally to herself.  
“All right...” said Akane switching to English as she leaned back slightly in her chair after a moment, folding her hands on the table in front of her. “Let’s begin with something simple. As you can see we’ve already been able to determine where you’re from… So why don’t you tell me your name?”

The prisoner looked away, though he continued watching Akane out of the corner of his eye as she sat patiently for a few minutes before bringing up pictures of the two women who had died and Kiyoshiko. 

“All right, if you won’t tell me your name, then why don’t we talk about your victims instead? …Why did you pick them? What exactly were you planning to do once you escaped Japan with your third victim?”

Finally the prisoner looked back to Akane, his frown deepening into a glower, as he slowly seemed to come to some sort of decision. “…Evan Harrison.” He spat out abruptly. 

“Excuse me?” murmured Akane, looking up to eye Harrison with an almost imperceptible frown.

Harrison smirked, tilting his head a bit as he looked at Akane. “My name. …You asked. What’s wrong, weren’t you paying attention?”

In the observation room Ginoza looked over at Kiyoshiko, studying her as she stood for a moment or two with her eyes squeezed closed before she let out a shaky breath. “…Yes,… I think that’s him.”

“You need to be sure.” said Ginoza looking toward the mirror before refocusing on Kiyoshiko, his gaze intent. 

Kiyoshiko turned toward Ginoza, nodding firmly. “It’s him.”

“All right.” replied Ginoza, as he keyed a command into his wrist link. He looked up to watch through the two way mirror as Akane glanced down at her wrist link when it flashed. She gazed toward the glass out of the corner of her eye, nodding fractionally then returned her attention back to Harrison as she continued the interrogation.

After a pause Ginoza turned back toward Kiyoshiko, taking a step closer as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “You did well. …But how did you know he was from NorAL just because he spoke English?” he asked, looking over at her.

“…It wasn’t just that he spoke English.” murmured Kiyoshiko, unconsciously pulling the forest green cardigan she was wearing over the standard issue top and pants from the medical ward more tightly around herself, before resting a hand on the ledge of the two way mirror. “It was his accent too.”

Ginoza raised an eyebrow as he studied the woman in front of him. “…I see…”

“ …It’s been a long time since I’ve heard it, since I’ve lived here most of my life, almost too long to remember. …But his accent was like the one some of the people who lived where I did before… the accident, had.” said Kiyoshiko, her loosely fisted hand tightening for a moment. She half turned toward Ginoza, a wry smile crossing her lips. “…I guess even back then Japan was safer than most places though. That was probably why my parents sent-…”  
Kiyoshiko broke off, her attention suddenly turning back toward the two way mirror looking into the room where the suspect was being interrogated as the volume of Harrison’s voice abruptly cut into her words. 

“That wasn’t supposed to happen! It was an accident!” shouted Harrison in response to some question of Akane’s, jerking his hands against the cuffs holding them as he strained to lean across the table. “…I just didn’t know what she looked like now. But I wasn’t trying to hurt any of them, they weren’t supposed to die! …I was trying to save her!”

“Trying to save who?!” asked Akane, raising her voice in an attempt to be heard over Harrison’s shouts.

Harrison seemed to calm a bit, settling back down into his chair again, though he continued glaring across the table at Akane. “…There was this girl from the same place as me. It’s not like it is here, it’s dangerous. …She got blinded by a bus bomb when she was a kid, some terrorist with a grudge against a store, or the owner, or something… Afterward no one could believe she survived the building collapsing too, it was sheer luck someone landed on her. …She was just six years old …”

Akane frowned, folding her arms across her chest as she studied Harrison. “I see… but why would you think someone like that would be here in Japan?”

“You people… you don’t know anything.” growled Harrison, his earlier agitation beginning to return. “With your ‘great, almighty’ Sybil System you think you’ve created the perfect world for yourselves but what about the people who don’t fit into your cookie cutter molds of perfection?! What about someone like that, like her…? What chance does someone who’s been through so much have of meeting your definition of perfection?! …And after her parents sent her somewhere they thought she’d be safer! What a sick joke!”

“…-it was me all along…” Kiyoshiko murmured softly, before paling. “Oh,-… those other women… He was looking for me…” She pressed a hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed as she backed away from the glass.

“Kiyoshiko, what is it?” asked Ginoza his expression becoming concerned as he reached out to grip her shoulders when she backed into him and felt her shaking under his hands. Letting go for a moment he moved to stand in front of her, shooting a frown toward the mirror briefly, before placing his hands on her shoulders once more. “What’s wrong?” 

Kiyoshiko shook her head, gripping Ginoza’s arm tightly with her free hand, her eyes still squeezed closed. 

“Okay. It’s okay…” murmured Ginoza shifting to wrap one arm around her shoulders as he led her out of the room and to an empty interrogation room next door. “Come with me.” Guiding her inside the room he pulled one of the chairs out from the table for her to sit in. “Here, sit down. …Can you wait here for me for a minute?” he asked crouching in front of Kiyoshiko so he could see her face after she sat down. 

Kiyoshiko hesitated for a long moment, then nodded finally lowering her hand from her mouth, to clasp both hands together on her lap.

“I’ll be right back.” said Ginoza as he got to his feet and walked quickly out of the room. 

Kiyoshiko leaned forward lowering her face into her hands as she let out a long breath. _…I never would have thought… those poor women… all because he was trying to find me…_ She thought as she brushed her hair back from her face with both hands, trying to calm her thoughts.  
She lifted her head lowering her hands from the sides of her face a few minutes later, when she heard footsteps come into the room as Ginoza returned. 

“Here. …It’s tea.” said Ginoza, holding out the cup of hot tea he’d brought back from one of the vending machines close enough for her to feel the heat of the steam rising from it, as he placed the other chair in the room across from Kiyoshiko’s.  
He sat down, waiting until she had taken and sipped at the drink, nodding at her murmured thanks, before leaning forward slightly studying her expression. “Are you all right? …What happened back there?” 

“…I think so.” sighed Kiyoshiko as she straightened to sit back in her chair a bit, the cup of tea cradled in her hands. “…I’m sorry. …When he was talking- …What he’d said…” She paused for a moment shaking her head, as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I’d suddenly realized… I think that I was the person he was looking for all this time. When he’d taken those other women before, it was a mistake, because he was trying to find me.”

Ginoza shook his head, making a soft sound to dismiss Kiyoshiko’s apology, frowning a bit as he continued observing her. “Is that what you meant by ‘It was me all along?’. How could you know if he was looking for you specifically?”

“Because of what he’d said right after he started shouting and when he was talking about the Sybil System.” said Kiyoshiko, biting her lip as she fidgeted with the cup in her hands for a moment. “…You know a little of what happened when I lost my sight. That it was because of an injury that happened when I was a child… but not very many of the details…” A weak, slightly apologetic smile touched Kiyoshiko’s lips for a moment. “I’m sorry… You were worried about hearing them the day we met. And I did mean it when I said I wouldn’t purposely cloud anyone’s psycho pass…”

“Hmm…” Ginoza hesitated for a moment, then shook his head a hint of a reluctant smile crossing his face for an instant. _I guess all this time we’ve both been trying to make sure neither of us knows enough to endanger the other’s psycho pass._  
“It’s all right. …You shouldn’t worry, it will be okay.” Ginoza leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, to cup his hands around Kiyoshiko’s. “…Will you tell me? …Please?”

Kiyoshiko drew back slightly a frown crossing her face as she opened her mouth to reply, before hesitating and closing it once more. Her expression softened as she thought for a few minutes before slowly nodding. She closed her eyes, freeing her hands from Ginoza’s momentarily to set the cup aside on the table before returning her hands to his. “…Yes,… I’ll tell you. If you’re sure you want to know,… all of it.”

Ginoza made a soft sound of affirmation as he nodded, squeezing Kiyoshiko’s hands in encouragement. _Could it really be that bad…? Granted some of the conditions in portions of SEAUn were quite a bit worse than here in Japan, but… surely that was more the exception than the rule since the military was corrupt and abusing their power. …And this would have been a long time ago and another place…_

“…It happened just after I’d turned six.” began Kiyoshiko, after taking a breath while she gathered her thoughts. “My parents had left Japan not too long before I was born and immigrated to NorAL... The town where we lived was small, just a village really …more like the ones you read about in old stories, than the way things are here. There was a city an hour or two away that we would go to occasionally to buy things that my parents or someone in the town couldn’t grow or make. …The day it happened both of my parents had needed something in the city so I got to go with them. I was at a store with my mother and had wandered off to look at something while she was negotiating over what she was buying… I don’t even remember what it was I’d went to look at now. But I do vaguely recall the sound of an engine, and after that was the explosion. I don’t remember much about it, just a wave of heat and light, and feeling things hit me. That was probably when I got knocked out, which was what caused me to go blind, since I don’t remember anything at all after that until later in the hospital.” said Kiyoshiko turning her face away for a moment as she lifted her hand, her fingers reflexively moving to the back of her head when she paused for breath. 

“I was told that the explosion was an accident. But maybe it wasn’t, if what… that man said is true…” continued Kiyoshiko after a minute or two, letting her hand fall to return to Ginoza’s grasp as she turned back. “…Anyway… after that, part of the building collapsed from the damage it caused. There was someone that was standing in front of me, closer to the explosion when it happened, and they had landed partially on top of me. …That’s what saved me from the worst of the explosion and when the building came down. My grandfather said that it took them several hours to dig me and anyone else that survived out… and the people that didn’t. The person that was on top of me… didn’t make it...” murmured Kiyoshiko quietly before finally falling silent as she bit her lip. 

Ginoza stared at Kiyoshiko eyes wide with shock and his mouth ever so slightly open as his grip unconsciously tightened on her hands. _…She almost died before we even met…_ he thought, a sudden chill running through him at the notion. A soft, pained sound from Kiyoshiko drew his attention from his thoughts and he glanced down, seeing his white knuckled grip, before loosening his hold with a murmured apology. Ginoza swallowed hard, clearing his throat before looking back up at Kiyoshiko. “…What-… what happened then?” 

Kiyoshiko frowned worriedly, hesitating as she seemed to study Ginoza briefly before continuing. “I’d spent a couple of months in a hospital while they waited to see if my sight would come back when I recovered some. …Once the doctors determined that it probably never would and I was well enough to travel, my parents somehow arranged for me to be able to come here. Even though it was right when Sybil was going to be given full control and the borders were about to close. My father’s parents… my grandparents, had stayed here in Japan even after my parents left,… so they sent me to live with them.”

Ginoza let out a long breath, taking a moment to steady himself before frowning a bit as he looked at Kiyoshiko. “…How,… did you know that the story the suspect told was about you though?” he asked.

“Mostly it was that last part when he’d talked about the collapse, and being sent away, that made me realize it was me he was trying to find. …I didn’t even know about that until years later when I had started asking more questions about what happened.” said Kiyoshiko, shaking her head and biting her lip for a moment. “My grandfather told me once I was older, a teenager… He said I had a right to know about what happened to me, if I wanted to. …If it wasn’t an accident though, maybe my grandfather didn’t know at the time either.”

“I see.” murmured Ginoza frowning. _That seems rather irresponsible. To risk damaging someone’s psycho pass by telling them those kinds of details about an event so traumatic that they don’t even fully recall it… Especially a child._

“But if you didn’t even know until later, how would the abductor have known a detail like that? He would have been even younger than you were when it happened, if he was even present.” came Akane’s voice as the door to the room closed behind her. 

Kiyoshiko and Ginoza turned toward Akane as the inspector rounded the table coming over to where they were sitting.  
“I’m not sure…” said Kiyoshiko, shaking her head. “I would say that someone might have told him… but I doubt they would have known that I was sent to Japan afterwards.” She sighed quietly, her voice becoming a bit softer as she continued. “…The only people I can think of that might have known that would still be in NorAL are my parents,… but to be honest I don’t know if they’re even still alive. The lines of communication were cut when the borders closed completely so we never heard from them again after that. I’ve assumed for years now that they might not be with as dangerous as it already was, even twenty-five years ago…”

“Could you be wrong then?” asked Ginoza. “Perhaps you weren’t his target after all.”

“…Do you really think there were that many blind, six year olds that made it into Japan around the time the borders closed?” said Kiyoshiko, a pensive expression crossing her face as she turned back toward Ginoza. “Those other women died because he was looking for me…”

“I suppose not…” murmured Ginoza, softly before fixing Kiyoshiko with an intent gaze. “But that doesn’t mean it was your fault.”

“Yes,… I know…” sighed Kiyoshiko half to herself, nodding as she squeezed Ginoza’s hands gently before letting go as she turned back to Akane. “…So what’s going to happen now?”

Akane set the tablet she was holding down on the table behind her before leaning back against its edge, as she folded her arms across her chest with a sigh. “Now,… it’s over. It’s obvious that Harrison-san can’t be allowed to go free, so he’ll be kept in isolation.” _…Though it remains to be seen if an intrusion like this from NorAL, even one that was probably unsanctioned will have any repercussions…_ thought Akane, frowning almost imperceptibly. She glanced over to see that Ginoza was watching her, his expression equally serious.  
After a moment Akane put on a happier expression as she turned her attention back toward Kiyoshiko. “It’s better if you try not to worry about it too much though.”

“…Then,… it’s over.” murmured Kiyoshiko under her breath, sighing quietly as she sank back in her chair her head lowered slightly. _At least for now…_ thought Kiyoshiko, picking up on the subtle tension in the air. A few moments later she lifted her head, turning toward Akane with a slight smile. “Thank you Akane-chan. …For finding me in time.”


	6. Epilogue

The next day after being evaluated by the MWPSB’s therapists who determined that the abduction’s effect on her psycho pass had been surprisingly minimal, perhaps due to her being unconscious for the majority of the time she was held, Kiyoshiko was cleared to leave. Akane had offered to take Kiyoshiko home and once she was ready to go, Ginoza accompanied the two women to the MWPSB’s garage.  
“Why don’t you two wait here?” suggested Akane, half turning to look over her shoulder as they stepped outside the glass doors into the garage. “I’ll bring the car over.”

“All right.” agreed Kiyoshiko nodding at Akane. “Thank you for taking the time to take me home.”

“You’re welcome.” said Akane smiling as she turned to leave. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” 

Ginoza stood several steps behind Kiyoshiko, his hands in his pockets as they waited just outside the doors of the garage area of the MWPSB for Akane to bring her car around. He hesitated, studying the uneasy posture of the dark haired woman in front of him. “…Are you all right?” he asked quietly, then pressed his lips together for a moment, taking a breath before pushing onward. “You’re… not having second thoughts?”

“Well,…” Kiyoshiko’s fingers fidgeted with the strap of the bag holding the clothes she had been rescued in and essentials that Akane had brought from home for her, before she closed her hand tightly around it to stop the action. “I am a little nervous, after everything that’s happened. …About going home I mean.” She turned toward Ginoza, shaking her head as a hint of a smile came to her face. “But I’m not having second thoughts.” 

“…I see…” murmured Ginoza letting out the breath he’d been holding, in something resembling a sigh. His expression was a mix of relief and concern as he looked at Kiyoshiko. “…Are you sure this is a good idea? If something happens-...”

Shaking her head fractionally to halt his words, Kiyoshiko raised her chin as she interrupted Ginoza, turning her face up toward the dark haired enforcer’s. “…You were right though… about some of the things you’d said. …It’s something I’m going to do something about. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t think we can make what we have work. Even if it’s difficult sometimes,…” Her voice softened as she reached out, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing Ginoza’s arm. “…Can we try? …Together?”

Ginoza laughed softly, a gentle smile coming to his face. He took his hands from his pockets as he stepped closer, gathering up Kiyoshiko’s hand from where it rested on his arm. “…Yes, together.” He paused, sighing quietly as his grip tightened reflexively on her hand. “…It’s just that if I were to lose-” he began, just as Akane arrived with the car. Feeling grateful for the interruption, Ginoza pulled himself away from the thought before he could complete it. He looked toward the vehicle for a moment then returned his attention to Kiyoshiko. “Tsunemori’s back. …You should go.”

Kiyoshiko nodded, her grip tightening for a moment on Ginoza’s hand before she let go. Ginoza cupped her cheek in his hand, looking down at Kiyoshiko for a long minute before putting his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head as he ran his fingers through her hair. “…Be careful out there…” he murmured quietly. 

“I will.” agreed Kiyoshiko, smiling as she closed her eyes and slid her arms around the raven haired enforcer’s back, returning his embrace. She sighed a few moments later, pushing lightly against his chest as she stepped back, her head lowered slightly. “…Make sure you remember to be careful too, Nobuchika. Try not to get into dangerous situations any more than you absolutely have to…” She said her voice trailing off into silence as she closed her eyes for a moment taking a breath before turning her face back up toward him.  
Her hand moved to lightly grip the lapel of his suit coat, running her thumb over it as she continued, a faint smile coming to her lips. “…I’ll call you later so we can talk about an idea I’d had for our first date…Okay?” Kiyoshiko’s smile grew into a grin as she rose up to place a light kiss on Ginoza’s lips, muffling his soft sound of embarrassment. 

As she pulled back Ginoza turned his head, looking down a bit in an attempt to hide the faint blush he could feel coloring his cheeks before a hint of a subtly pleased smile crossed his lips. He looked back toward Kiyoshiko as he nodded slightly in agreement. “Okay.” 

Kiyoshiko flashed another quick grin before turning to leave Ginoza standing at the doors. She made her way to Akane’s car and got inside, leaning back against the seat as Akane pulled away from the building.  
Once they reached the highway Akane put the car in auto-drive and looked over at Kiyoshiko, studying her for several minutes before speaking. “…Is everything all right?”

“…Both of you now…” murmured Kiyoshiko under her breath before she laughed slightly, shaking her head. “Do I look that nervous?” she asked before half turning toward Akane with a slight smile. “I’ll be all right, really.” After a moment’s hesitation Kiyoshiko continued, her expression sobering. “…I do have something I need help with… a favor, to ask you for Akane-chan. …But it’s okay though, if you want to say no…”

Akane frowned a bit, looking over at Kiyoshiko with a puzzled expression. “I’m not sure why I would… What is it?”

~~~~~~

A week later Akane sat on her couch putting the finishing touches on the report for the serial abduction case. The search of Harrison’s hideout had eventually uncovered a photograph of him with a small group of other people, one of which Ginoza had identified as the man who he had fought during the bombing incident.  
As for the abductor himself, several days after being transferred to a cell in isolation Harrison’s crime coefficient had inexplicably spiked, raising it over 300 which resulted in his execution. A soft chime sounded over her wrist link as a report from Shion, detailing her findings on Harrison’s death, came in.

Akane sighed softly, a light frown painting her features as she skimmed the file Shion had sent before adding the information to her report. _…And that’s a little suspicious, all things considered. Somehow I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised… I guess there’s not really anything I can do now though, unfortunately._ thought Akane, scanning the report a final time before submitting it. _And I’m not sure how I can stop something like it from happening again…_

After shutting down her wrist link’s holographic screen, and taking off the device to set it on the coffee table in front of her Akane let her head fall back to rest against the back of the couch as she closed her eyes, trying to quiet her thoughts. _It’s so frustrating…there’s only so much I can do by myself. But it’s not safe for anyone else to know…_ She thought before the door chime of her apartment intruded. Akane pushed herself up off the couch with a soft groan and walked over to the door to let the person on the other side in.

“Oh it’s you Kiyoshiko-chan… Is it that late already?” asked Akane, glancing back over her shoulder for a moment to where she had left her wrist link laying on the table. “…I guess I must have lost track of the time. Please, come in.” She added as she stepped back to let the taller woman inside.

“Thank you for this Akane-chan… or should I start calling you Akane-sensei now?” said Kiyoshiko smiling as she stepped into Akane’s apartment. As Akane had instructed she was dressed in comfortable work-out clothing and carrying a bag with a change of clothes, which she left near the door.

Akane shook her head, a smile touching her lips for a moment, as she closed the door then stepped over to guide Kiyoshiko toward the room that was set aside as a gym. “You’re welcome Kiyoshiko-chan. …I guess we should probably start with some basic self-defense things at first, while we figure out the best way to do this. Then once you’ve got a handle on those I can start showing you some more advanced techniques…” 

Kiyoshiko nodded, her fingers drifting across the wall as she mapped out the edges of the room. “That’s probably best. …To be honest I’m not quite sure how to approach this either. Just being able to find my way around is sometimes difficult when I’m at a place I’m not familiar with, something like this is another level entirely…”

“It’s fine.” said Akane nodding, as she watched Kiyoshiko’s fingers play over the surface of the currently inactive sparring bot. “Later I’ll give you a way to get into my apartment so you can come here and practice with the sparring bot sometimes even if I’m busy.” 

Kiyoshiko nodded as she let her hand fall, walking back over to where Akane was. “I appreciate your going so far to help me with this. I hope it’s not too much trouble for you.” 

“It’s no trouble.” Akane smiled shaking her head as she moved toward the middle of the room. “Should we get started?”

“Yes.” agreed Kiyoshiko nodding, her expression determined as she leaned her guide cane against the wall and went to join Akane. _…Maybe this way Nobuchika will be able to worry a little less, …and one day I’ll be able to stand beside him, on my own strength._


End file.
